W1AW commemorates the 98th anniversary of the first amateur radio signals to cross the Atlantic

December 11 marks the 98th anniversary of ARRL’s success Transatlantic trials in 1921, organized to see if low power amateur radio stations could be heard across the Atlantic using shortwave frequencies (i.e. above 200 meters). That day, a message from a group of Radio Club of America members to 1BCG in Greenwich, Connecticut was copied by Paul Godley, 2ZE, Scotland.

While the first two-way contact did not take place until 1923, the transatlantic success of 1921 marked the start of what would become routine communication between American radio amateurs and those in other parts of the world – literally the birth by DX.

To commemorate this important milestone for amateur radio, Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will be on the air all day December 11 with volunteer operators. The aim is to encourage contacts between radio amateurs in the United States and Europe while showing the importance of transmissions which pioneered global communication and laid the foundation for a technology widely used today. . The event will run from 1300 to 0000 UTC. Some details are still being worked out, but the operation will focus on 40 and 20 meters (SSB).

Contact Clark Burgard, N1BCG, for more information.